Hyacinth Macaw
Birds tell us!
Thoughts by Lynsy Smithson-Stanley is the Deputy Director of Climate &
Strategic Initiatives.
Over
time and across cultures, birds have sent us warning signals about the health
of our environment. Never has their message been more urgent: Birds are telling
us climate change is here, and it threatens birds worldwide.
Macaw [M.Raeder-Photography]
Research shows that
climate change poses grave risks to birds around the globe, and those impacts
will intensify as warming continues. For instance:
· Disappearing sea ice is
already making it harder for Emperor Penguins to find food and raise their
chicks.
· For mountain-dwelling
birds like the Resplendent Quetzal, rising temperatures are driving birds to
higher altitudes, which can create more competition for food and suitable
habitat - and there are limitation how high the birds can go, what then?
· Changes in temperature and
rainfall could make it harder for the Hyacinth Macaw and other rainforest
birds.
Similar trends hold true for other wildlife that is threatened in their natural habitat by changes occurring all around the globe.
As world leaders come
together next week in Paris for the Global Climate Talks to take collective action on climate change, it’s important to recognize what nature is telling us and to become aware of our collective actions, to act responsibly, and to protect our blue planet.
Macaw Feathers [M.Raeder-Photography]
Til next time,
Meggi
